


A Fluffy Holiday Surprise

by hibiren



Series: Jay's Gladnis Collection [32]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 30s gladnis, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Clarus is the best dad ever even if he's only mentioned, Cooking, Cute, FFXV Secret Santa, FFXV Secret Santa 2019, Feels, Fluff, Gift Fic, Gift Giving, Gladnis, Holidays, Ignis is the best fiance ever, Iris is the best sister ever, M/M, Surprises, Sweet, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:15:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: [For the 2019 FFXV Secret Santa] Gladio works hard to surprise Ignis when he comes home from yet another late shift at work during the holidays, but he has no idea that he isn't the only one planning a surprise...
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: Jay's Gladnis Collection [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1151849
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21
Collections: FFXV Secret Santa 2019





	A Fluffy Holiday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyNightingGaleofMilvania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania/gifts).



> !!!!!!! I can finally post this!! My super feelsy/cute/sweet 30s!Gladnis holiday fic for LadyofMilvania! I really hope you like it :3 I worked really hard on this and I knew as soon as I saw your prompt, I had an immediate idea! Enjoy the holiday fluff~

“Iris, I need your help.”

Gladio’s voice shifted anxiously as he shuffled around the empty living room of the house he shared with Ignis. Lately, his fiance had been working later and later hours, caught up in the sweeping necessity that was office work during the holidays. Uncomfortable thoughts plagued Gladio for days but he forced himself not to think too much about it - and to call his sister instead.

“Sure, Gladdy. What do you need?”

“I… want to surprise Ignis. When he comes home from work tonight, I want the whole place decorated like a gingerbread house. But, uh… I can’t do that much work alone in the hours I’ve got ‘til his shift is over. Would you mind coming to help your big brother out? If you’re not working or anything today.”

“Sure! I worked this morning so I’m all free for the rest of the night. You want me to bring anything? Or do you still have that giant box of Dad’s Christmas stuff in the attic?” Iris giggled and Gladio shared in her laughter before adding,

“Actually, that reminds me; I wanna make him dinner too. Can you pick up some stuff for me on your way over? I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s for Ignis! I’ll help out free of charge for you two lovebirds. It took you two long enough to get engaged, so if I can get you any closer together I’ll do my best! That’s right, I’m bringing mistletoe for _every_ doorway this time and you can’t stop me.”

“Alright, alright, I hear you,” Gladio chuckled before finishing his round of pacing and stopping in front of the couch, where their worn Christmas quilt laid draped across the back. It reminded him of his father, and that box of mostly-abandoned Christmas stuff in the attic. Things that he brought out every year, just to remind himself that his dad could still be around - if only in spirit - for the holidays. “I’ll see you soon. Thanks, Iris.”

“No problem! I’ll be over soon!”

They both hung up and Gladio sat on the couch with a heavy sigh, resting his head in his hands. Ignis had to be working so much because his boss must have been breathing down his neck about missing a week of shifts last month - all because Gladio had insisted that they go on a much-needed vacation together.

He blamed himself for the way Ignis shuffled, exhausted, through their front door every weekday evening ready to collapse yet still insisting that he was awake enough to cook dinner for them both. Gladio would always help out on those days and when the weekends came, Ignis spent most of the day asleep. It pained Gladio to see Ignis that exhausted, but with Gladio having his own part-time work on the weekends, there was only so much he could do. And he felt terrible for it.

Hopefully this surprise would make it up to Ignis, if he was feeling abandoned and seeking shelter at work… if it wasn’t his godsawful boss forcing him to come in because no one else would, and Ignis lacked the seniority at the office to have a right to refuse… there were too many things it could be.

Ignis had taken to no longer talking about work when he came home. He insisted it was to “keep the house a pleasant place” and avoid every thought of the office he could. Gladio understood - even though it was unsaid he knew deep down that the real reason that Ignis refused to talk too much about his situation was to keep his fiance from worrying.

And that was why this particular holiday was so important to him. He knew how much it meant to Ignis and that made preparing for the year’s end a necessity.

Iris arrived in the midst of Gladio cleaning up in the kitchen. Several large bags hung from her arms and even more were cradled in her hands, stacked precariously. Gladio opened the door for her as she hurriedly blurted something about “gotta keep up the one-trip-household tradition!” before running into the kitchen and putting the handful of bags on the counter, settling the ones on her arms to the floor for unpacking later.

“Alright, Iris, what’ve we got?”

“I picked up a ham, veggies and some stuff for pre-dinner snacks, a bottle of Iggy’s favorite wine, and - ”

“How do you - ?”

“He told me about it last time I came over. Why, does that make you jealous?” asked Iris, playfully sticking her tongue out as she brandished said bottle of wine triumphantly.

“...No,” Gladio muttered, face flushed as he turned his attention to unpacking the groceries. “Surprised they let you walk out of the store with that thing.”

“Gladdy, I’m twenty-five!”

“Oh yeah, that’s right.”

Iris rolled her eyes and swatted Gladio on the arm before rolling up the sleeves on her sweater and setting the wine bottle aside to start opening a box of crackers and set it out on a (very tacky) holiday plate that Gladio had grabbed from their Christmas shelf.

“If you wanna do the cooking, I’ll start putting up the lights outside,” Iris suggested, “When Iggy is on his way home he’ll be able to see the house from a mile away.”

Gladio pulled on an apron and as he tied the ties around his waist, he nodded. “Sounds good to me. You got the ladder, or you want me to get it?”

“I got this, don’t worry. I’ve got Amicitia blood in me and that means I’m capable of anything!”

“You’d make Dad proud, y’know.”

The two of them shared a brief silent moment, as if in acknowledgement to their father. There were times that Gladio had wondered what his father would have thought of him, of Iris, of Ignis, too. Their father Clarus had died in a work-related accident when Iris was a teenager. Just about a decade had passed and they only missed him more every year. Gladio could picture his dad leaning (looming, perhaps, in that intimidating Amicitia Dad way) over Ignis, peering into his eyes before looking every inch of him over as if to say, _you better be good to my son._

But he was sure his father would have approved. Ignis was a great man. Not perfect, no cookie-cutter storybook partner, yet absolutely perfect enough to Gladio and all the flaws he carried with him, inked into every feather on his back. Gladio and Ignis worked well together, and Iris had been thrilled when she found out that Gladio had finally proposed. They'd spent the last few years saving up for their wedding and in the meantime, going on a few much-needed roadtrips when work became too much for both of them to bear.

These thoughts ran through Gladio’s head as he went about cooking and preparing as thoroughly as he could. He did his best not to be too distracted, trying to clear his mind while reading over the open recipe book (one of Ignis’ favorites for holiday cooking) on the counter. Time consuming recipes first, then the rest. He could practically feel the warmth of Ignis’ hands on his own as he went about cutting potatoes the way Ignis had taught him. It almost felt wrong to be cooking a holiday meal without him, but Gladio hoped that his desire to surprise his fiance would outweigh the fact that he’d spent so much time (making a mess) in the kitchen without him.

Just then, Gladio’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Although it startled him, he wiped his hands on his apron and did his best to answer in an even voice. Ignis hardly ever called from work; what was going on?

“Hey, Iggy, what’s up? Something happen?”

“I’ll…”

Ignis’ voice hung heavy as he paused, as if deliberating something. “I’ll be home a bit later than usual tonight again. Please forgive me, Gladiolus. This is the last late shift I have for the year and they still want to keep me, since I’m practically the only one in town this year.”

“Don’t worry about it; you do what you gotta do, sweetheart. I’ll be here for you when you get home. And… thanks for all your hard work, Iggy. It’ll be the end of your shift before you know it. When you come home, I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

“Ah, they’re calling for me. I have to go back. I love you, Gladio.”

“Love you too, Iggy. See you soon.”

There was somewhat of a smile in Ignis’ voice before he hung up. “Soon, love.”

At least, after the call ended, Gladio felt like he’d done some good in easing Ignis’ tenseness. Deep down, he hated that Ignis had to work such long hours for the holidays - but he knew it was all for a good reason. The extra pay meant they could afford things just a bit easier, put money in savings, and other necessities.

A few minutes later, Iris returned inside. Her nose was pink from the cold and she shivered somewhat despite her heavy jacket, and Gladio ducked into the kitchen to make Iris a cup of instant cider. A thankful expression warmed her face when he held out the cup, and she offered a happy smile.

“Lights are up! How’s the cooking coming along?”

“It’s, uh… working. Could use some help with the cranberries and stuffing, though. You know Iggy hates the boxed stuff. The cranberry spread should only take a couple minutes, at least, but I’ve had my hands full getting this dumb ham ready. How does Iggy do it? This is the most complicated recipe for a glaze I’ve ever seen. He’s got so many notes in here, it’s hard to see the actual text of the recipe in the book.”

Iris laughed and shrugged. After finishing her cup of cider, she pulled her jacket off, draped it over a nearby chair, and rolled her sleeves up to her elbows. “That’s Iggy for you. Here, let me help. I’ll get all the small stuff out of the way while you’re working on that.”

The two danced around the kitchen together, constantly trying not to bump into each other as they switched places and grabbed mixing bowls and utensils and spices, all to try to speed up the cooking. Before they knew it, the only thing left was to take the ham out of the oven and prepare it for serving.

“Thank the holiday gods, this didn’t take as long as I was thinking.”

“You’re welcome,” Iris said, a joking tease in her voice. “Just glad to help. Actually, I checked the fridge earlier and it looks like we’re running low on eggnog. I’ll go run out to get some - since that’s all we’ve really got left to do. I’ll finish putting out the nutcracker decorations and then go get some. See you, Gladdy!”

Without another word, Iris darted out of the kitchen, snatching her jacket off the chair and disappearing. It hadn’t crossed Gladio’s mind until he heard the door open that, hell, it’s Christmas, who in their right mind would go out not once, but _twice,_ for something that was most likely sold out? Was something strange really going on?

Before he could fuel his doubts anymore, he turned his thoughts to switching the prepared food onto serving plates and carrying them over to their kitchen table. Once that was done, Gladio wrangled with a stack of string lights, doing his best not to tangle them as he wound them around the tree and back. Pine needles were going everywhere, but he’d be quick to vacuum them before finishing the tree.

Once the lights were on, he finished off the decorating with ornaments from their boxes; pictures of Gladio and Iris as kids with Clarus in a tacky Christmas frame, ornaments marking the years, and even a few that both Iris and Gladio had handmade in school all those years ago. Gladio was surprised they’d held up this long, but knew it was because that box that he kept them in had to be good luck. Ignis hadn’t really had any ornaments to bring with him when he moved in, but Gladio had made a point to buy him some. Of course, a few of them were cooking themed, but how could he resist when he found those cute penguins-with-chef-hats ornaments at the store? It made Ignis laugh at the very least, which Gladio was thankful for.

After putting up the ornaments, the ham was finished, and presents were next on the list of things to do. It had been immensely difficult hiding those wrapped boxes from Ignis but now that he didn’t have to worry about it, he laid them out carefully beneath the tree and made sure not a single bow was out of place. If Ignis didn’t feel spoiled this year, then he’d just have to go even more all out next year. Gladio had even had a few presents for Iris, too, tucked away under more jackets in his “secret Christmas present closet.”

When Gladio’s phone rang again, he was sitting on the couch admiring his handiwork while drinking some of Ignis’ mulled cider. Better than the instant stuff, and he figured he deserved a reward after cooking all that food. He’d definitely offer some to Iris when she came back, now that he had time to heat it up. Halfway through his cup, Gladio caught the sound of someone unlocking the front door. He went to the door expecting Iris, but when it opened, a shivering Ignis tumbled inside, practically blown in by a powerfully chilly winter wind.

Gladio caught him, shivered himself at how cold his fiance was, but smiled as he closed the door with his other hand.

“Hey, welcome home, Iggy.”

Ignis blinked, adjusted his glasses, and smoothed his hair back into place. His head tilted suspiciously as he noted that something - no, many something’s - were different about the house.

“You… decorated? And… something smells delicious. Have you been cooking, Gladiolus?”

“Yeah. I made us dinner. Iris is here too but she went out for some more eggnog, she’ll, uh… be back at some point I guess.” Gladio shrugged and they both chuckled. Ignis let Gladio help him out of his jacket and lead him by a warm arm around the waist to the kitchen, where all the food was laid out on the table for them.

“Oh, Gladio… this is… thank you… you made so much, I… I don’t know what to say. The house looks lovely; the food, even lovelier…”

“Just glad you got home before too long,” Gladio hummed, pulling Ignis into a gentle kiss. “C’mon, you should eat. You want a drink? Iris brought over your favorite wine, y’know.”

“Ah, she did? Very thoughtful of her,” Ignis mused, as he visibly debated whether or not he wanted to sit down at the table. “It would be rude of us to eat without her, don’t you think?”

Gladio paused, but nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. You hungry, though?”

“I can wait. There’s actually something… I’ve been meaning to tell you. Come with me.”

When Ignis took Gladio by the hand and pulled him into the living room, Gladio wasn’t sure what to think when he sat them both down on the couch and looked into his eyes. There was a strange expression reflecting there; he wasn’t sure if it was from the twinkling of the Christmas tree lights, or if it was something all its own.

“Gladiolus, I… wanted to tell you the real reason I’ve been working late.”

_Oh no._

Gladio’s heart sank, but he tried to keep it from showing.

“You must have been thinking I've been avoiding you during the holidays since I've been at work so much but… I assure you there's a sound reason for it. I wanted to get you something that you - well, we - have wanted for a while.”

“What…?” Gladio asked, losing his words as he tried to process everything. What had Ignis been working so hard for? What would have required him staying out so late every night? He was thankful that it wasn’t his worst fears come to fruition but, what could it possibly be?”

A slightly playful smile turned the corners of Ignis’ lips as he leaned over and called for Iris.

_Iris was in on this too?_

“Hey, Gladdy! Iggy got you something, but you’ve gotta open it quick.”

Iris held a small green velvet box in her arms, tied with a beautiful red ribbon. She quickly set it in Gladio’s lap and when Gladio, with shaking hands, slowly pulled the ribbon loose, the lid immediately fell off as if bumped by something, and two big blue eyes stared back at him behind a wall of cream-colored fluff.

“Merry Christmas, Gladio,” Ignis and Iris chimed in unison.

Maybe it was something in the air; Gladio cursed himself as he fought back tears and picked up the small kitten in his hand. A little red ribbon matching the one on the box was tied carefully around its neck, although it was hardly visible behind all the fur.

“What are you going to name him?” Ignis asked, “If you have any thoughts.”

The kitten was absolutely adorable. Orange-cream fur, white ‘socks’ on every paw and a little patch of white on his forehead. Looking closer, there were a few darker orange spots here and there. Yet, there was only one name that came to mind, and it was as he looked down at the cup he’d put on their coffee table.

“How ‘bout Cider?”

“What a perfect, precious name,” agreed Ignis, and Iris practically squealed.

As the kitten nuzzled against Gladio’s hand, he asked, “Thank you… this really means a lot to me but I’ve got one question: why a kitten?”

“I know you’ve wanted a cat for ages, and… that’s part of the reason I’ve been out so late. Part of it was actually working, yes, but the rest of it? Iris and I had been going to every nearby animal rescue and shelter to find you the perfect kitten. This little one has already been vaccinated, treated, and is in perfect health. Apparently - his story is that his mother was a stray who had her kittens at a local firehouse - so an animal rescue group took the kittens and mother in and all of them had been adopted to new homes except for this one. So, I’m sorry for deceiving you, but I hope you’ll see it was out of a desire to keep this a surprise.”

Gladio blinked. He turned to Iris, then Ignis, then back to Iris again.

“You two are awful! You really had me worried, but… thank you. So much. Iris, you’re too good at lying, it’s scary.”

Iris put her hands on her hips and nodded triumphantly. “You never were suspicious of me for a minute! Glad to know I was doing my job as a distraction really well. I had to keep you extra busy tonight while Ignis went to pick up Cider from the rescue house.”

“And,” Ignis interjected, “Before you get too worried, another reason I was working so late was to ensure that little Cider had everything he needed to live here safely and comfortably. Now that he has a name, we can give him a proper collar and tag. But he has everything he should need; food, a litter box, water dish, about a hundred toys - thank you, Iris - and he’ll have two very loving parents.”

Ignis reached out and Cider sniffed Ignis’ hand before rubbing his head against Ignis’ palm. His loud, happy purrs vibrated throughout his whole tiny body.

“This is the best Christmas I could’ve asked for. Thank you guys. Now, let’s eat before our food gets too cold, yeah?”

“Great, I’m starving!”

“Yes, I’m quite hungry as well. And Cider can eat right alongside us. We picked up some special kitten treats for the occasion.”

“Ignis, you’ve gone full Cat Dad already and it’s only been a few hours, you’re gonna be hopeless,” Iris laughed, and Ignis glanced away, guiltily smiling. And in that moment Gladio knew he had the perfect family. He and Ignis, and their new kitten… not to mention the best sister in the world. He knew, too, that wherever Clarus was now, he was watching them eat and joke around and play with Cider; he had to be smiling, as the proudest Dad.

**Author's Note:**

> BY HOLIDAY FLUFF, I MEANT FLUFF *AND* CATS!!
> 
> Partially fueled by my own cat-dad nature.. oops XD I hope you enjoyed it and I hope your holidays have been going well! I've been quite busy but it's been good to have some time to write, and write gladnis at that~


End file.
